1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multiple points distance measuring or focusing state detecting apparatus of a camera using an area sensor, etc.
2. Related Background Art
Conventionally, there have been cameras which measure distances to 3-5 discrete points. Also, there have been video cameras or the like which use a wide distance-measuring area sensor to measure a distance for feature points therein. Furthermore, there have been robots or the like which use a multiple points distance measuring apparatus for environmental recognition.
According to the conventional devices, since a distance has been measured for multiple discrete points, a distance has been measured in detail for each point, and then distance measurement values have been rounded and selected by information processing.
Also, in environmental recognition, a detailed measurement has been needed for points of different distances because these points are taken as feature points representing an obstruction or a body of a dissimilar material (gloss) and hence cannot be ignored.
Multiple points distance measurement, therefore, has had a drawback of requiring a longer calculation time derived from multiple points.